Hilariously Bad Interview Questions

Fixed

 

The question that sticks out in my mind the most took place in the postgame presser after a Pitt-WVU game. Pitt had won to advance to the BCS (where they were crushed by Utah), and WVU knew it was headed to a lesser bowl after being preseason ranked as high as 5.

Anyway, of course, WVU's coach - a known hothead - approached the mic as surly as usual. He spit out a few lines about how the team was disappointed and this and that, before quickly opening up the floor to questions.

A WVU student radio personality jumped in to ask the first question, which was simply "Who is going to be your starting kicker for the bowl game?"

The kid was serious, but you could hear snickers throughout the room. The ballcoach, however, stared for what seemed like an eternity at this kid, eyes a-blazin, before ignoring him and moving on to the next question.

I can't imagine the kid ever had the confidence to do another interview again.

 

At a NASCAR pit crew competition one year in Rockingham, a radio reporter asked a tire changer if there was any difference in changing tires on a Ford as opposed to a Chevrolet, with the team he used to work for. The guy just looked at him and said, "Are you kidding?"

 

I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure that was covered in one of the episodes of Dirty Jobs on the Discovery Channel.

 

How about the reporter who asked Jim Plunkett a few years back following a Raider's playoff game, "Jim, which is it, blind mother and dead father or blind father and dead mother?"
That has to be the all-time worst.

 

If we all don't have at least one from ourselves, there are some people holding out, big time.

Mine kicked ass (not really ....)

High school basketball coach wins some landmark game, like 400 or something. The gamer is to be focused on his team, but he's all tied up celebrating so i go with another reporter to get a few quotes from the losing coach.

It had been a very close game. My first question: "So, Coach Landmark won his 300th game tonight, is it nice to see him reach that landmark?"

"Well he would have won it last week had we not beat them by 30 earlier this season, so I guess that's nice," he said.

So I'm bumbling and stumbling, realizing how insanely stupid my question was. I apologize about 10 times and he gives a real answer, "Yeah, we're frustrated we lost but Coach Landmark's a great coach and we congratulate him, bla bla bla."

 

Fella at our (not really) competing weekly last football season to high school player who was one of three or four to sack the opposing QB in the end zone for a safety:

"So, Johnny, how did it feel to get that safety? Was that the first one of your career?"

I was walking away, and didn't hear the kid's response, but the last I checked a team scores a safety, not an individual...

 

I don't get it. If I asked Reggie White after the Eagles-Saints playoff game back in the 90s how it felt to get the safety I would be dumb?

How is that different from "How did it feel to get that sack in the endzone?" ... at which point the player would probably point out that a sack in the endzone is called a safety ...

 

What got me more was the second part. And that the score of the game was something like 42-0. The safety meant nothing.

Mind you, it was November, windy as all hell and 30 degrees and the dude was wearing a Hawaiian shirt. I guess the mental picture gets me most.

 

A tangent, but a good one: My paper is hiring a new ME, and our first external candidate visited today and the staff was allowed to ask questions.

Our environmental reporter: "You've worked at big metros and traveled the world ... why the hell do you want to come here?"

 

Look at the answer to your alleged "stupid" question and you'll realize it wasn't that bad, a heck of a lot better than his "real answer" was.

 

I'm not immune to the occasional brainfart and stupid question, but here's a couple of my favorites from a local television reporter.

Not long after the Patriots had their long (21 or 22) game winning streak broken by the Steelers, they were coming to town to play the local team and this reporters poses the question to one of the team's star receivers who is notorious for being a smartass.
Reporter: So, do you look at this as an opportunity to kick the Patriots while they're down?
Receiver: Yeah. I do. I think any chance you get to take advantage of a downtrodden team that has lost once in 20 some odd games, you have to think it's an opportunity.

Awful question. Awesome, sarcastic response.